Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: CaptMorganism on September 30, 2012, 10:53:22 am
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This is a photo of the bees filling a crack in the column. I am assuming that the column is expanding due to the growth of the hive. We moved into the house in June and have not done anything with them. They are only in the column and not in the walls or attic at all. My plan is to build some boxes in hope I can capture a swarm and transfer this hive into a box eventually. The hive is not aggressive (so far) and do not respond at all to any mowers, power equipment, blowers etc. Of course I imagine this can change rapidly.
We do not have much of a winter here in Louisiana but I still do not plan on messing with them until next year.
Tried to post a photo but do not have enough posts to rate image posting.
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what kind of column? and are these st. martin parish knucklehead bees? :-P
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Hello,
This is a wood column about 7' tall and the bees in question are Lafayette Parish bees of the Northside variety!
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Captain, send your pictures to one of the moderators and they will be glad to post them for you. Round or square column?
...JP
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Round column JP. Thanks for the tip. I will do a mod search and see who to pester. Most likely I will take a few pics and post to my website then give a link. Might be easier.
I really dig your videos. Right now the bees ain't hurting anything but I would like to achieve a childhood goal of having a hive or two. Of course Laffy is a "no buzz" zone so I would have to be non compliant.
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Hopefully, its a wooden column, correct?
...JP
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Ha! Oh yes it made of wood. I imagine they are running out of space in there. Seems like a whole lotta buzzin goin on.
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Come spring you should be able to do your removal and if careful be able to put the column back together as if nothing happened. If you wait until April you likely will catch at least a few swarms from the colony. ;)
...JP
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I was hoping I would be able to reassemble and reuse the column. The idea of gathering a swarm before the cut out appeals to me.
Waiting till April or the preferred time is not a problem, actually gives me more time to plan and work on what I need. Equipment, boxes etc. I have an oak tree roughly 30' out from the hive entrance I was planning to mount a swarm box to and put a couple more around the yard.
Too many duties Mon afternoon kept me from photo capture of the situation. I will try harder this afternoon.
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I just thought of something about the bees wintering over. Would it help, harm or otherwise affect the hive if I feed them over the winter? If they overwinter more comfortably are they more likely to throw swarms in the Spring? Laugh if it is a silly idea, I am not too thin skinned.
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if you have a way to feed them, I do not see what it would hurt. If they make through winter with a larger number of bees because you fed them then it would stand to reason they would cast off swarms.
My 0.02 cents is to do it!
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Open feed them and if they need the resources they will bring it in. Can only help their cause. BTW, place several swarm traps out. If you have the equipment, use deeps for your traps. Do something like 50', 150' and 300' if you are able. This will increase your chances of success.
...JP
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I have no equipment yet, nothing at all. I hoped to get stuff together over the winter and be prepared. The feeding will be easy to put out and may help them.
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This is the link to a couple of bad pics and rough videos of the bees in the column. http://smu.gs/QVWNew (http://smu.gs/QVWNew)
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i have a friend in lafayette who is on good terms with her ex-son-in-law who is a beekeeper. would you be interested in getting in touch with him? he may be able to assist you.
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It would most likely help alot to meet and talk to people.
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We put out boxes to try to catch a swarm. The column must be filled to capacity as it is opening up at the gaps in the wood. Will post some photos or links to photos later today or this weekend.
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Bees cant split sound wood. They will remove rot but not sound wood. The column is rotting, you need to replace the column with a new one . You can thank the bees for pointing it out to you, by placing the old column in the garden and leave it for the bees. That column will be better than any hive an whats more legal!
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Clarification: the column is made of separate panels, it isn't one solid piece. The expansion is at a point where the sections come together.
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Now that is way cool.
You are a lucky man Capt.
Good luck with everything.
David
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No advice with the bees as i am as green as they come, but as far as the column goes--- The most likely reason for the splitting is due to moisture/ honey etc inside of it. The exterior of this column has been primed and painted to protect against moisture, but the inside will not be protected. The moisture is saturating the wood causing it to expand...Hence the splitting... ;) Awesome nonetheless
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http://smu.gs/QVWNew (http://smu.gs/QVWNew)
I have posted a few more photos of the column. The wood is not truly splitting, the pieces of wood are opening up where they were joined together.